Green eating, literally

For us, the holidays often mean lots of colds, coughs, and sniffles.  The unhealthy eating in the month of December (lots more sweets, lots fewer fruits and veggies), the lack of sleep (staying up late wrapping presents and attending holiday parties), and all that germy indoor air we’re breathing means my family is often sick [...]

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here are a few of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes…

Apple Cranberry Pie
Roasted Root Veggies
And a new one–homemade cranberry sauce!  Once you taste this, you’ll never buy the canned junk again!!

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh cranberries
1 to 1 1/2 cups orange juice
5 whole cloves
5 whole allspice berries
3 cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 cups white sugar (we often use less, but you [...]

Chili

It’s getting chilly where we live.  Time for lots of chili.  This recipe for Three-Bean Vegetable Chili has been our favorite for two years now.  See modifications at the end if you’re concerned about BPA.
Ingredients

1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped carrot
4 garlic cloves
4 cups water
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 cup chopped red [...]

Peach season

The end of July through early Sept is peach season.  Our farmer’s market is chock-full of them.  We can even buy an eleven pound box of slightly bruised organic peaches for $11.  One of our favorite things to do with them is make them into a cobbler and serve with ice cream.  This recipe is [...]

Green bean stew

This green bean stew is a great summer dish and can be easily made with ingredients commonly found at Farmer’s Markets (green beans, potatoes, onions, parsley, and tomatoes).  Serve with feta and bread to soak up the yummy sauce for a light, vegetarian dinner.
Ingredients:

1 3/4 lb green beans, trimmed
2/3 cup extra virgin olive [...]

The best brunch pie

This feta and leek “pie” is super delicious.  It would be great for brunch or even paired with a salad for a light summer dinner.
Ingredients:

1 onion, sliced
1/4 cup butter
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 large leeks, chopped (about 1 lb)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
7 oz Greek (strained, plain) yogurt
11 [...]

Banana Orange Muffins

I recently found a nice Banana Orange Bread recipe online.  But the recipe called for butter and a whole cup of sugar (for 2 cups flour).  So I’ve modified it to make it healthier.  Here’s my version, which I make in a muffin format for ease of transportation.  I love freezing them; they make great [...]

Turkey meatballs

These are so tasty!  The onion/wine broth is delicious.
Ingredients:

2 tbsp dried porcini mushrooms (use dry cremini as a substitute if need be)
2/3 cup warm water
1 lb ground turkey [...]

Whole wheat banana nut pancakes

Here is one of our favorite breakfasts:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or use all whole wheat)
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk (we use soymilk)
1 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 bananas, sliced
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

In large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Make well in center. In small [...]

Our favorite pot pie

Comfort foods are traditionally loaded with fat and calories. But this pot pie is delicious without the heavy cream filling. While making your own crust takes time and effort, it is so good that it’s worth it. We often make extra filling and freeze it in pyrex dishes without any crust. [...]